This is a quirk of the schedule that the next 17 assessments in Asia over the last four years, England, do not appear to regress in the next two. Their white-ball teams will return regularly, including in the Champions Trophy then and the T20 World Cup in 2026, but their then Test excursion will not be until February 2027, in the form of a two-match series in Bangladesh.
“It looks like it’s going to be a pretty decent field for the first few days,” Stokes said. “There’s not a lot of grass to hold it together, so the reasoning behind three spinners was that as the game goes on, they’re probably going to come into play… I was just weighing up who we think is going to be effective as the game goes on. .
“It’s nice as a couple of rakes have been fitted to it… I’ve never been a fielder but one would assume a rake would help spin. If you look at it we can have a correct guess on what the Pakistan spinners will act on.” . When asked if only one end had been raked, Stokes clarified: “Negative, everyone has done it, however there are specific disciplines.”
While the grass was cut in the stripes on both sides of the playing surface in the second Test in Multan, there are only three fields cut in the Rawalpindi square this week. “With gardens, I find it irresistible, lush and green, and now there is no excess [on the] squares to paint, we will most likely try to achieve a reverse swing,” Stokes admitted.
Brendon McCullum believed the toss skewed the second Test “65-35” in Pakistan’s favor, and will be significant again this week. “The launch, within the subcontinent, plays a more important role than anywhere else on this planet,” Stokes said. “[But] “I don’t think we’ll commit to having such extreme situations as the game progresses – it will be day one ground when we start, not six years in.”
Historically, England tend not to adapt to overseas conditions and wonder why their medium pacers are ineffective on pitches without a living blade of grass. This year, they have been much more open-minded, as evidenced by the inclusion of Rehan as a wildcard option in the third over, who they expect to create opportunities even if the field is flat.
“Including Rehan’s unbiased spirit and desperation to change the sport in every date he received the ball in his hand is a huge advantage for us in this presentation,” Stokes said, dismissing the relevance of his quiet season with Leicestershire. “Leg spinners have excellent talent for playing a sport seen… You’d rather have it and not want it than want it and not have it.”
His ridiculous dismissal in Multan obscured the fact that he was the top scorer in England’s second innings and was the only batsman to find a successful method by relying almost exclusively on his sweeps and reverses. Despite his inspiring leadership, Stokes has not scored a Test century in 16 months: with the series on the line, he will be desperate to end that streak.
The success of the McCullum-Stokes regime will ultimately be dictated by their results next year against India and Australia, but this week will go a long way to determining his team’s reputation in Asia. When asked how important it would be to win, Stokes gave a one-word answer: “A lot.” For everything England needs to entertain, it has a unique focal point in this presentation.
Matt Curler is a staff writer at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
